Grain-car door.



N. HOOPLE.

GRAIN CAB DOOR.

APPLICATION FILED AFB. 9. 190a.

Patented May 18, 1909.

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avmmnl oz N. HOOPLE.

GRAIN CAR DOOR. APPLICATION FILED APR. 9. 190B.

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a g j j V 3 j/ j. K 7Z nozntoz 2 6 Q %ih1moea 3 g/ UNITE NELSON HOOPLE,OF DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

GRAIN-CAR DOOR.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NELSON HOOPLE, citizen of the United States,residing at Duluth, in the coimty of St. Louis and State of Minnesota,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain-Car Doors, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is the provision of an improvedgrain car door embodying a novel construction which admits of the doorbeing securely locked in a closed position or quickly removed from thedoor way of the car.

The invention further contemplates a strong and durable car door whichwill form a tight closure so as to prevent leakage of the grain andwhich owing to the ease with which it can be manipulated will bringabout a saving in time and labor.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof andalso to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and the meansfor effecting the result, reference is to be had to the followingdescription and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a car having the improvedgrain car door applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a detail view showing theslide and attached parts and a portion of the track, the members beingseparated. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view through the door. Fig.4 is a sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 3, portions being brokenaway. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a slight modification. Fig. 6is a transverse sectional view through a further modified form of thedoor section.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a car which isprovided with the usual door way in one side thereof. Jambs 2 arelocated upon opposite sides of the door way and secured to the innersides of the jambs 2 are tracks 3 having the upper portions thereofextended rear-wardly. It will thus be apparent that each of the trackscomprises a lower vertical section 3 and an upper horizontal section 3which is connected to the vertical section by an inclined portion 3.Each of the tracks 3 is formed with a base 4 which is secured to the jamb 2 or other support, and the spaced parallel flanges or sides 5 whichproject outwardly from op- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 9, 1908.

Patented May 18, 1909.

Serial No. 426,098.

posite sides of the base 4 and terminate in the inwardly extending lips6. A slide 7 is loosely mounted within each of the tracks 3 and each ofthe slides is formed with a pair of threaded studs 8 and 9 projectingoutwardly therefrom between the lips 6. A clamping plate 10 is fittedupon the stud 8 of each of the slides 7 and is adapted to be forcedinwardly against the lips 6 of the track by means of the nuts 11. Theopposite stud 9 of each of the slides 7 is designed to loosely receivean eye at one end of a link 12, the opposite end of the link having anoperative connection with a door section 13. It will be observed that awasher member 14 is shown as interposed between the link 12 and thetrack and that a pair of nuts 15 are applied to the stud 9 forpreventing disengagement of the link therefrom, the outer nut 15 beingjammed against the inner nut 15 to prevent the said nuts from workingloose.

The doorsection 1.3 fits against the inner edges of jambs 2 and isprovided upon its rear face with the transverse stiffening ribs 16 andupon its outer face with the keepers 17 received within eyes at theinner ends of the links 12. It will be observed that the said keepersare formed with a portion 17 a which is inclined downwardly and inwardlytoward the door section. ith this construction it will be obvious thatby moving the slides 7 downwardly upon the vertical sections 3 of thetracks the eyes at the inner ends of the links 12 will be drawndownwardly upon the inclined portions 17 of the keepers and a cam actionwill be produced which will tend to draw the door section securelyagainst the jambs 2 and at the same time force it downwardly toward thefloor of the car. When the door section has thus been secured inposition it can be locked against displacement by tightening the nuts 11 and forcing the clamping plates 10 against the tracks, the inner facesof the clamping plates being preferably serrated or roughened so as totake a firm hold upon the tracks and prevent movement of the'slides.

Should it be desired to move the door section away from the door way ofthe car the desired result can be quickly accomplished by loosening theclamping plates 10 and moving the slides 5 upwardly upon the horizontalsection 3 of the tracks. In this connection attention may be directed tothe fact that as the slides are moved upwardly the eyes at the innerends of the inks 12 are I a i drawn u wardly upon the keepers 17 so asto release the door sections from a close engagement with the doorjambs. When the slides are moved u on the horizontal sections 3 of thetracks t e door section 13 is sus ended from the roof of the car in anout-of-t e-way position. It is also contemplated to utilize a number ofdoor sections which also fit against the jambs 2 and may be clampedbetween the fioor of the car and the door sec tion 13 which is connectedto the slides 7 mounted upon the tracks. These sections may be eitherplain or formedwith a tongue and groove connection as found mostdesirable. As shown in Fig. 3 the two sections are'plain, the section 18resting upon the floor of the car having the U-shaped clips 20 appliedto the lower edge thereof, a strip 21 which extends along the lower edgeof the said door section being secured to the clips. This strip 21prevents injury to the door section should it become necessary to employa lever for raising the same as is frequently the case in actual use.However, after the lower door section has been thus raised a few inchesthe grain flows out through the opening thus formed and releases theupper sections which may be easily removed. The

door section 18 between the upper door section 13 and that section 18restmg upon the floor has the metallic strips 22 secured to the upperand lower edges thereof in order to protect the same against injury. Inthe modification shown in Fig. 5 the section 18 is formed at itsopposite longitudinal edges with corresponding tongues and grooves sothat when several such sections are assembled the tongue of one sectionwill fit within the groove of the next adjacent section. Under someconditions it may be found desirable as indicated in Fig. 6 to cover thelower door sections with a sheathing 19 of sheet metal or similarmaterial which will serve to protect the same from injury. However,regardless of the s ecific form of the lower door sections whic areclamped in position under the section 13, it will be obvious that theheight of the door can be regulated as desired by utilizing the requirednumber of the sections.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a car door, the combination of a track upon the door jambs, aslide mounted upon the track, a door adapted to fit against the jambs, akeeper applied to the door and formed with an inclined portion, and alink connecting the slide to the keeper and cooperating with theinclined portion of the latter to hold the door in position.

2. In a car door, the combination of a track upon the door jambs, aslide mounted upon the track, means for locking the slide againstmovement, a door ada ted to fit against the jambs, a keeper app ied tothe door and formed with an inclined portion, and a link looselyconnecting the slide to the keeper and cooperating with the inclinedportion of the latter to draw the door against the j ambs and force itdownwardly.

3. In a car door, the combination of a track upon the door jambs, aslide mounted upon the track and provided with a pair of studs, aclamping plate applied to one of the studs and adapted to cooperate withthe track to lock the slide against movement, a door adapted to fitagainst the ambs, a keeper applied to the door and formed with aninclined portion, and a link pivotally mounted upon the opposite studand having a sliding connection with the inclined portion of the keeper,the said link cooperating with the inclined portion of the keeper todraw the door against the jambs and force it downwardly.

4. In a car door, the combination of a track applied to the door jambsand having the upper portion thereof extended laterally, a slide mountedupon the track, a door adapted to fit against'the jambs, a keeperapplied to the door and formed with an inclined portion, and a linkloosely connecting the keeper to the slide and enabling the door to bedrawn against the door jambs and secured in position or released fromthe door jambs and suspended from the laterally extended portion of thetrack. In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

NELSON I-IOOPLE. [L. s.]

Witnesses:

CHARLES K. CARLsoN, N. H. WILSON.

